Got a rhyme? Got a thought? Got a poem for a sidewalk? Now is the time, and Zionsville’s the place. Put that poem on paper or computer screen and send it to the Zionsville Cultural District (ZCD). That organization is sponsoring the first-ever “Step-On-Us Sidewalk Poetry Contest.”

The project, unique in Indiana and one of only a handful in the nation, is to promote the arts in the Village of Zionsville. Winners, one adult and one youth, will see their work stamped into a Village sidewalk. Winning poems will be stepped on, stomped on, skipped on, and read by villagers and visitors alike for years to come.

“We looked at projects done throughout the United States that were successful and enhanced their communities. The board voted for sidewalk poetry because we felt Zionsville has a lot of talent in that area, and this would be a way to engage the community and the state at large,” said ZCD Board President Carla Howie.

Zionsville Mayor Tim Haak is excited about the project. “When we first heard about this project from ZCD, we jumped right in,” he said. “This public art initiative is a great opportunity to transform the town’s sidewalks and make downtown Zionsville an even more vibrant destination.”

The Sidewalk Poetry Committee – Lisa Le Crone, Donna Monday and Kathy Brown – found a stamping facility in Minnesota. The stamping itself will be done by the Zionsville Street and Stormwater Department.

Poems may be simple or profound but may not be political or profane. They must be short. Poets are divided into two categories – youth (students 18 and under, Zionsville residents) and adult (Indiana residents 19 and over). Entry fees are $5 for youth and $10 for adults.

Entries are due March 30 with the winners announced in April – which is National Poetry Month. Entries can be mailed to Zionsville Cultural District (225 W. Hawthorne St., Zionsville, IN 46077) or submitted online at www.zionsvilleculturaldistrict.org. Submitted poems will be reviewed without the authors’ names on them by ZCD Board members, a board member from Poetry on Brick Street and a board member from the Poetry Society of Indiana.

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